ALOR GAJAH: Efforts are being made to reduce the reliance on foreign workers, says V.Sivakumar.

The Human Resources Minister said the vision of all agencies under his ministry is focused on ensuring 100% local employees in crucial sectors.

"We are striving to achieve the reduction of foreign employment in the country.

"The dependency on foreign workers is still high, hence, I am encouraging employers to focus on absorbing locals," he said after launching his Ministry's programme at Pulau Sebang here on Saturday (Oct 7).

Sivakumar also unveiled that the unemployment rate in the country continued to fall, with 3.5% recorded in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 3.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022.

He said this was due to a significant shift in job-seeking trends and with various initiatives being implemented by the government to assist job seekers aged 40 and above.

"There is indeed a changing trend in job searches, especially after Covid-19; many people lost their jobs and then sought employment opportunities that match their interests and skills," he said.

Sivakumar said the data from the MYFutureJobs Portal showed that 455,350 job seekers nationwide had been successfully placed in various sectors from 2022 until September 2023.

He added that the trend was a positive indication that more people were starting to work while the unemployment rate was decreasing.